The leaders of Hamas show no regard for the safety of their own citizens; they must have known that Israel would retaliate with considerable force. You cannot continually attack a neighbouring country without some response.
Hamas are fighting a one-sided war that they know they cannot win. Thousands of Palestinians will die as will Israelis. I really wish that Hamas would spend their money and efforts on making life better for the population of Gaza, and not permanently trying to kill their neighbours. I am sure that the majority of Palestinians have no argument with Israel; all they want is a quiet life.
I hear that Israel has now cut-off Gaza's electricity and water supply. They depend on Israel for so much.
I feel very sorry for the people of Gaza. They are led by an idiotic terrorist gang who bring death and destruction upon their own people. It would be good to be able to target their leaders specifically, but as we all know, they tend to hide in hospitals and schools. Instead, it's the ordinary citizens of Gaza who will be suffering; and they already are.
If I was Netanyahu I would insist that the Hamas leaders return the 'hostages' within 24 hours, any failure to do so would result in serious mass destruction. This nonsense cannot go on. They have to be taught a lesson.
Whilst the Israelis are sending a few retaliatory rockets into Gaza, maybe they could also send a consignment of brooms, dustpans and brushes. I notice that Gaza's streets are filthy and littered as one would expect of such people, only when they begin to respect themselves will they learn to respect others!
I used to know a few twisted people who openly supported Hamas (Corbyn calls them 'his friends'), some of them even painted Stars of David on our nearby Marks and Spencer store windows, imitating the Nazis; totally disgusting. Yesterday I listened to Starmer condemning unequivocally the actions of Hamas, and he was joined by all European leaders (both Left and Right) in his condemnation. Maybe those who previously supported these terrorists will now be too ashamed to do so again.
Our thoughts are with our blog-friend Yael in Israel, who seems to have been under attack from these thugs for many years.
Putin, of course, blames the USA. But he would!
As sparkling merlot has observed, this is viewed by Hamas as a religious war - they are motivated by the same kinds of hatred that fuelled the Catholic Inquisition and the Sunni-Shia internecine terrorism. For religions that claim peace these are just barbaric terrorists.
ReplyDeleteThe strangest ever inter-religion war must have been (is) between the N Irish Protestants and Catholics. It's basically the same religion with the same book, god, saints, etc. What were they fighting over???
DeleteThere is another strange religion currently sweeping the Western world that goes by the names of Climate Change/Net Zero. It's "Bible" is the various publications of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, it shows all of the zealotry and intolerance of other religions and demands complete obedience to its doctrines on pain of excommunication (aka "cancellation"). And has all of the hallmarks of the Catholic church's treatment of the science of Galileo and Copernicus, namely insisting that it's "science" is settled and "the Truth" despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
DeleteI think the most dangerous is 'Wokism'.
DeleteIt is the results of a centuries of history...and the most recent one seems to have been the worst with much interference and provocation
ReplyDeleteYes, and they MUST have expected some reprisal. I see on this morning's news that they certainly got it.
DeleteI have only one word for senseless wars. WHY?
ReplyDeletePutin is an idiot.
The one thing you can guarantee with Putin, is that he'll always side with 'the baddies'.
DeleteThe origins of the problem go back to 1917 and the Balfour Declaration.
ReplyDeleteAnd then in 1948. It's about time they settled down.
DeleteWhen the going got tough in 1948 the British pulled out. The land of the Palestinians was carved up in 1917 with a map and a pencil by predominantly the British and the French around a table. It was unfortunately a recipe for disaster.
DeleteI agree with Rachel that the Balfour Declaration didn't help, but that was not the origin. It started before that.
DeleteMy window of history was 400 years of peace under Ottoman rule when Arabs, Jews and Christians lived in peace together in Palestine. Then WW1, defeat of Turks, Balfour Declaration and carve up of land round a table and everything changed from then on. That's all. I can't go back as far as Moses in a comment here.
DeleteThanks for the risk you are taking. I remember all the trolls who attacked you and the other bloggers a few years ago when you dared to support us. I quickly read the post and maybe I didn't notice, but what's going on here is very serious, we know how to deal with the rockets. This time it's different. 1000 Hamas terrorists entered on Saturday morning and murdered more than nine hundred people in their homes. They burned houses and executed children, parents and grandmothers. They abused the bodies and burned houses and cars with the people inside. They took prisoners to Gaza, grandmothers with their Filipino nannies, children, women and babies. Not everything is known yet. I don't read the comments because I'm still afraid of comments that try to create equality between us and them. Alarms now and I'm going to stand in the small hallway of my house and pray that this Russian roulette will be in my favor again this time. Thank you again for the support. It is very important to me
ReplyDeleteNo risk this time, I think the whole world condemns Hamas. Of course there are still a few deluded people out there, but they are the sort who would moan about anything. They would probably support Putin too.
DeleteThe Labour Group for Palestine met yesterday in London and a similar group of French politicians met in Paris yesterday. The EU did some sort of Uturn and my conclusion is that the world leaders are in turmoil.
DeleteYes, I've just seen that about some Labour folk. They must be careful or they could be suspended, like Corbyn. I don't think Starmer will put up with much more antisemitism. It does their cause too much damage.
DeleteWhat Rachel said. They are in turmoil, because they know that the pyramid of hierarchy will crumble. Expect 'u' turns, and jumping ship. There is no other way to go.
DeleteI am so sorry about what is happening to you and yours Yael ! No decent human being could ever support a group that slits babies' throats. All the decent people are on your side. Thoughts and prayers for an end to this horrendous nightmare. Take care .
DeleteThanks for your update Yael. We were worried for you and your fellow countrymen.
ReplyDeleteI hope you are able to stay safe. Lesley
Yes, it's good to see that she's OK, and lets all hope that it stays that way. I expect the retaliation will continue for a while, then Hamas will plead for an end to what they started. We shall see.
DeleteIt really touches my heart that people really care. I don't leave the house, except for half an hour in the morning when I went to buy some things at the small store here in the hope that there won't be an alarm. The TV is on all the time and that's how I know what's going on. Also apps on the phone. The house shakes from the shelling and also from the iron dome of the rockets. I have a full minute to find shelter when there is an alarm, but I don't have a protected room in the house, so I stand in the hallway and know that at the moment of truth it won't really protect me. And again, thank you for caring.
ReplyDeleteWe do worry about you Yael. I hear that Gaza has been given a good dose of their own medicine overnight. They mustn't be allowed to get away with what they're doing.
DeleteI'm glad to hear from Yael. Now our local elections are over the majority of news is about Israel. The correspondent I was listening to just now mentioned that the Israeli's were used to these attacks and rockets going off over their heads and were quite calm.
ReplyDeleteBut I read Yael's comment and read the news and understand that this time it is different. The horror of that first attack, the kidnappings, slayings and sheer slaughter was horrific.
Keep safe Yael, you and all your family.
My you always win that russian roulette
Poor Yael has been under attack for years. It is little reported but Hamas fire rockets every day.
Delete"the majority of Palestinians have no argument with Israel"... They just want their country back. Gaza is essentially a vast concentration camp. Where are the ordinary people of Gaza meant to run to as the bombs rain down?
ReplyDeleteThe ordinary people of Gaza rely on Israel for so much. At least the Israelis warned people to leave certain terrorist targets. I can't imagine Hamas being so kind.
DeleteI'm so sorry to read your comment YP, I don't have the time and energy to argue right now but you don't understand anything. Where are we supposed to go? The Palestinians have never missed any opportunity to extend a hand for peace and the arrangements that were offered to them. The people with the superficial knowledge always judge us negatively and that's a shame.
DeleteOh yes, I don't understand anything but you on the other hand understand everything.
DeleteOrdinary people on both sides of this conflict will (and do) suffer. Ordinary people always bear the brunt of their government's decisions. I feel so sorry for everyone caught in this nightmare through no fault of their own (which is the majority of people).
DeleteYP, Yael has been living with attacks from Hamas for years. This hasn't just started last week, this has continued daily for decades, but on a smaller scale. Yael has been in the firing line for all that time; never knowing if one of their rockets will hit her home. I think she DOES understand.
DeleteI never said she didn't but there are different ways of looking at the horror that has been unleashed this week and to say that I don't understand anything is just plain wrong.
DeleteYou admitted to knowing nothing. Not that you needed to.
DeleteYou have to see things from the viewpoint of people who experience such things daily. Imagine being viciously attacked daily by Lancastrians. I think you may feel a tad peeved!!!
DeleteThough YP has ostracized me from his blog (can't remember why this minute - maybe I accused him of being vain; clearly a hanging offence) I do agree with his third comment (10/10 1601 hrs).
DeleteI look at life, anything in life, as a cube, a dice: So many sides to consider.
U
Misogynism is rife throughout blogs in both bloggers and commenters Ursula.
DeleteThank you for your updates, Yael. You are very much in our thoughts. Stay safe and strong. Gilly.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure she'll keep us informed.
DeleteThanks to all of you, I will continue to update and also probably start fighting with people who annoy me... there are no equal sides here this time and we must understand that. And thank you again.
ReplyDeletexxx
DeleteSome information which might be helpful. Vanessa Beeley has living in and reporting from Israel for many years. She gave an update on the situation on yesterdays UK Column News. Easy to find if you are interested.
ReplyDeleteI'm watching BBC news from both Israel and Gaza.
DeleteMeanqueen posted the following link on her blog
Deletehttps://davidicke.com/2023/10/08/david-icke-whats-really-happening-in-israel/
She felt that after listening to this it all makes sense to her. I thought I would share
Traveller, thanks for publishing Meanqueen's link.
DeleteCro will dismiss Icke - if indeed he has the patience to listen to the 40 minute podcast. That's, unfortunately, because Cro's world is black and white. He has called me a Corbynista before (apparently the ultimate insult) just because I mentioned that Corbyn might have a point here or there. Now, no doubt, a new identity will be prescribed to me, namely that of Ickeonite. Which sounds pretty icky.
Trouble is, with so many people, that they refuse to at least consider another take on, say, history, the machinations of politics and, naturally, 9/11. You name it. Even if you don't buy wholesale into whatever doesn't mean you shouldn't give it some fair hearing. It's called "an open mind". And pigs may fly.
U
For clarity i was only pointing out additional information, promoted by MQ, by David Icke - an ex footballer who believes the royal family are shape shifting aliens.
DeleteYou really do have to laugh
If you don't, you will weep at the sheer foolishness of the human race.
DeleteAnd if you didn't laugh you might end-up like Ursula.
DeleteWhen I read about this atrocity my first thoughts were for Yael and her family. It's a relief to hear from her, and know that she is safe, and I hope will continue to be.
ReplyDeleteIs there to be no end to man's inhumanity to man?
It's hard to keep-up with all the atrocities that are happening around the world.
DeleteI'm always impressed when Cro takes on a meaty more relevant subject as opposed to what I call daily nostalgia on the Kitchen Sink blogging circuit, a risk in itself when Google happens to be your host, unlike Twitter X where you can say more. And as always twitter's coverage is more brutal and honest unlike most stories in the main stream media.
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of anger around the terrible weekend events had spread to London's Speakers Corner after my visit there on Sunday.
I don't think many of us can comprehend what Yael must be going through.
Interestingly the BBC have quite rightly been criticized for calling the perpetrators of those killings of innocent families and pedestrians as militants. We know what they really are.
I was very disturbed to hear that some MP's have sided with the terrorists. I had hoped for a united front against such barbarity, but I suppose there will always be a few Corbyn-types.
DeleteMy thoughts and prayers are with the people caught in the crossfire of this horrific war action. Leadership has failed once again.
ReplyDeleteThe reality of warfare is horrific. The innocent suffer the most, and the citizens of Gaza are now reaping the rewards of mindless terrorism. I do hope that the leaders of Hamas are dealt with.
DeleteThe faces of terrified screaming children just gut me. I cannot stand to see them. The state of this world is heart breaking. I was very grateful to hear from Yael this morning.
ReplyDeleteI was born just after the 2nd German war, and since then have not experienced any warfare first hand. I cannot imagine how those children must feel (on both sides). I really feel for them.
DeleteI debated whether to come back and respond but I can't help but respond. Are there some ways to look at the murder of babies and children and entire families when they force their hands and burn their houses? Ursula and Yorkshire Pudding Is there more than one way of looking at it? I wonder where your compassion is. Not everything is political. There is no more than one way to look at a massacre of 1200 people on Saturday morning.
ReplyDeleteYael, the personal cost - when caught in the middle of political/warring conflict - is, of course, horrendous. Remember that photo of the child, running, taken during the Vietnam war? If a picture paints a thousand words and more, that one was it.
DeleteIn answer to your lament: I am afraid, yes, "everything is political". Think chess. Or even Poker. What of that dreadful saying that "everything is fair in love and war"?
One question, and it's reared its as yet not answered head even in mainstream press: How come that Israel, a country few others will rival in their sophisticated surveillance and intel, let the build up "go under the radar"? How?
To me, personally, the Palestine/Gaza Strip/Israel conflict is a most fascinating/opaque/impenetrable - and not so recent - mystery.
Plenty more to say, but mustn't explode Cro's comment box. I wish you and yours, indeed all sides, well. Can't even imagine what it must be like. Yet, on a grand scale, I shall always hold onto that cube - whilst having nothing but compassion for those caught in the fire.
U
Babies were beheaded. BABIES. What can justify that? Truly?
ReplyDeleteAnd yet they have their supporters; see above. One really would have thought this time, that there would be UNIVERSAL condemnation. But no!
Delete